Love Lost, Love Found
by shan8080
Summary: Bella Swan loves her job despite having to work for an erratic, irresponsible boss. Then she meets a new GM of the hotel. See how they fall in love. Fluffy! Rated M for lemons. Very first attempt, amateur. *ON HIATUS*
1. Chapter 1

**I own nothing - Everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

I looked around and Princess Fiona is in her office, door shut, talking on the phone animatedly and scrutinizing the picture that's showing on the Facebook wall, _again._

_"I bet she's gossiping about Sam's new girl with Jessica again" _I typed a quick Skype message to Angela.

_"Why does she even bother? The girls changes every week."_Angela's reply came instantly.

Lauren Mallory, or Princess Fiona as Ang and I secretly nicknamed her because of her 6"2 height was with Sam for a grand total of...three months. Granted, that's probably the longest period of time Sam has ever been seen with any women. Lauren thought she was the one, to _"tame my Sam down" _and change his partying lifestyle. Apparently not.

_"I don't really care what she does outside work as long as she doesn't throw shit at me every time I get ready to leave"_I skyped. Ang stood up from her cubicle, pretending to stretch, throwing a sympathy look to me.

Truth be told, I love my job and I'm here because of Lauren. I met her at a bar one day where we were both spotting the same expression on our faces - sulking at having to wait for our friends. We got to chatting and in between my beer and her _extra _dirty martini, I told her my sappy story of trying to get a proper job other than walking dogs. My business degree is going to go to waste. Three drinks and a whole load of laughters later, our friends arrived and we said goodbye, she passed me her business card and said: _"Call me tomorrow, I have the perfect job in mind for you"_. She winked and left.

I looked at her card and it said "_Lauren Mallory, Global Sales, Masen International Hotel Group"_. She works for Masen Hotels, holy cow! That's the hotels where rumours had it all the whos-who have stayed there but no one has ever spotted them because the hotels are so fucking exclusive! You get lost in there and the paps can never get near the hotel, never.

Lauren offered me a position in her department with a starting pay I cannot believe. For a start, I will be the sales secretary and reporting directly to her. Everything was amazing until I found out about her crazy work habits. For one, she locks herself in the room all day on the pretext of international conference calls but I know all she does is gossip with her friend Jessica Stanley. Until about 30-minutes before the clock strikes 6pm, she comes sweetly to me and say _"Hey Bella, how's your day? Look, I really need this report for Mr Masen's office first thing tomorrow morning, so can you put together our last five years figures from Asia and then break it down per country?"_

That is why for the last three years, I always end up having to cancel plans with Ang.

_"You are not cancelling tonight are you?"_Ang typed. I can hear her typing getting faster and louder.

_"No, relax. Try not to kill your keyboard. I am going, I needed that drink anyway, been such a long week. Let me finish up this email and we'll go" _I heard a sigh of relief coming from the cubicle in front of me.

* * *

><p>Sitting in Angela's living room waiting for her to get dressed up, I shut my eyes hoping sleep would find me, even for just ten minutes. I couldn't be bothered to go home and change, besides, there's no one I'm looking to impress. Tonight is all going to be about Ang, she's on Operation Declare-My-Love tonight.<p>

Ben, her brother's friend, has been the subject of Angela's crush for the longest time ever. As an observer, I think Ben likes her too but he's too afraid to do anything to jeopardize his friendship with Eric. I'm so proud of Ang for finally deciding to do something about it, and I know I have to stand by her side and provide her the support she needs. Tonight, we are all heading out to my favourite Mexican bar for some nachos and margaritas. Eric's gotten a promotion at work and we're celebrating with a bunch of friends.

_"Wassup Bells? You look terrible!" _Jake said as he put the margarita in front of me. Strawberry, my favourite.

_"I don't know, every time I go to sleep, my bed shakes so badly its like a scene from The Exorcist. I decided not to sleep ever. Vampire is the way to go." _I rolled my eyes.

_"No wonder you like red drinks" _he mumbled and went to serve the other customers, not before ruffling my hair. Eric and Ben arrived, with some of their friends at work and I noticed immediately how Ben went and sat beside Angela. I congratulated Eric and demanded he buys every one a round of Tequila shots.

5 margaritas and 3 shots later, I was feeling warm and fuzzy and ready to go. I was looking around for Ang and wanting to see if she's ready to go, before she slammed hard into me, hugging me so tight that I couldn't breathe.

_"Ang, I'm going to throw up on you if you don't release me" _I managed to say.

_"Oops! Sorry! It's just that, Bella, you had no idea what just happened! I cannot believe it! You know what Ben just told me? "Heaskedmeoutonadate!"  
><em>

_"Slow down, Ang. I don't understand a single word you said"_

She looked at me like I was an idiot, but her eyes were just so full of happiness.

_"Ben just asked me out on a date this Sunday" _she said, slowly, as though enjoying the words herself.

_"That's wonderful Ang! Did that happened after you spoke to him?"_

_"No, actually, he got to me before I could even say anything. Look Bella, I love to stay around more, but Ben has asked if I want to grab supper before sending me home..."_

_"Go, don't worry about me, I was just about to look for you and tell you I'm leaving too"_

_"You sure you're ok? You can join us for supper, we can drop you home later"_

I wondered how much Angela meant it but gave her a big hug instead _"Just go babe, I'm fine. I want to hear about it tomorrow though"_

_"Thanks Bella! Love you!"_

As I stepped out of the bar, I accidentally bumped into someone.

_"Ouch!" _I whimpered.

A pair of strong hands grabbed me by my sides, preventing me from falling and a velvety, low voice said: _"I'm so sorry, are you ok?"_

I looked up to see the which part of "ouch" the guy whom just bumped into me didn't understand. I rubbed my shoulder and...gasped. No wonder it hurt, I just slammed into the well-defined muscles of the most gorgeous man I've seen. He was still holding me, and I smelled Hugo Boss cologne that I so love, his v-neck tee shirt defines his chest and biceps and I gulped. His green eyes pierced into mine, searching for an answer.

_"I'm not responsible for that" _I said, pointing at the floor. His broken Blackberry in 3 pieces.

He looked confused but followed my finger. He let me go and smirked, while picking up the pieces "_No, its all my fault. I shouldn't be walking and texting at the same time. Are you alright?"_

He's British. The accent. I.. cannot.. incoherent.

I nodded. He looked at me once more _"Sorry again. Have a good evening"_and he walked away.

I stood here, watching him leave.

**AN: Lauren is based on someone I knew and nicknamed Princess Fiona, not just because of her height but she was fairly big too. I realised it might be a little offensive to tall ladies but that's not my intention at all. It seemed like a harmless name to share when I was writing it.**

**My very first attempt at fanfic, so its raw and amateur.**


	2. Chapter 2

My alarm rang and I looked at my Iphone, 7am. I groaned, remembering this week will be crazy. The Board of Directors are convening this week, Mr Masen's personal assistant, Stacey, has gone from the usually courteous and sweet lady to a mad bitch since last Wednesday. All the hotels' General Managers will also be coming in for their inaugural GMs meeting. For the last couple of years, Mr Masen and the senior directors traveled to the respective hotels for meetings but this year, he has decided to bring everyone to New York and start the tradition of an annual GMs meeting.

I was so surprised to see Princess Fiona in her office when I got there at 830. There was a Venti Americano on her desk, paperwork scattered everywhere, but I have to give it to her, her hair and makeup, still impeccable.

_"Bella, thank God you're here! Where is the report on Asia I asked for last Friday? I know you gave it to me, did I ask you to make any amendment to that? Why did you take it away from me? I need that slide for my presentation" _she went on and on.

_"Good morning to you, too Lauren" _I walked into her office and grabbed the folder behind her laptop and hand it to her.

She smiled and said _"ahhh... what would I do without you my dear Bella?"_

_"You'll do just fine, Lauren" _I smiled and walked out of her office.

I look at my emails - 85 unread - took a sip of my coffee, and here goes.

**From: Lauren Mallory [lauren(dot)mallory(dot)at maseninternational .com]**  
><strong>To: Isabella Swan <strong>[isabella(dot)swan(dot)at maseninternational .com]<strong>**  
><strong>Subject: Asia Report<strong>  
><strong>Date: 14 October 2011<strong>

**Time: 7:43am**

I can't find the China report.

Rgds,  
>LM<p>

****From: Lauren Mallory [lauren(dot)mallory(dot)at maseninternational .com]**  
><strong>To: Isabella Swan <strong>[isabella(dot)swan(dot)at maseninternational .com]<strong>**  
><strong>Subject: Asia Report<strong>**

******Date: 14 October 2011**

**Time: 7:56am**

I still can't find it. Can you please send it to me asap? While you are at it, I also need the breakdown for direct business versus wholesalers for Bali. I thought I asked for it last week too?

Rgds,  
>LM<p>

****From: Lauren Mallory [lauren(dot)mallory(dot)at maseninternational .com]**  
><strong>To: Isabella Swan <strong>[isabella(dot)swan(dot)at maseninternational .com]<strong>**  
><strong>Subject: Asia Report<strong>**

**Date: 14 October 2011**

**Time: 8:03am**

I found the Bali report. Sorry.

Still need Asia.

Rgds,  
>LM<p>

****From: Lauren Mallory [lauren(dot)mallory(dot)at maseninternational .com]**  
><strong>To: Isabella Swan <strong>[isabella(dot)swan(dot)at maseninternational .com]<strong>**  
><strong>Subject: Asia Report<strong>**

**Time: 8:35am**

Bella, the attached powerpoint slides are good to go (I hope so, my head is on it). Can you please double check for me? You do know that if anything goes wrong, you're answerable as I've asked you to check.

Send it to everyone who will be in the 10am meeting.

Rgds,  
>LM<p>

**From: Isabella Swan ******[isabella(dot)swan(dot)at maseninternational .com]********  
><strong>To: Lauren Mallory<strong><strong>[lauren(dot)mallory(dot)at maseninternational .com]<strong>****  
><strong>Subject: Re: ASIA SALES REVIEW<strong>  
><strong>Date: 14 October 2011<strong>

**Time: 8:57am**

Lauren, the sequence of your slides are all jumbled up. Can you please save the attached and use this instead? I will send it out now.

Best,  
>Bella S.<p>

**From: ********[isabella(dot)swan(dot)at maseninternational .com]**********  
><strong>To: +<strong>**Asia GMs;****BODs;****Executive Office**  
><strong>Subject: Asia Sales Review<strong>  
><strong>Date: 14 October 2011<strong>

**Time: 9:00am**

Dear All,

Please find attached a copy of the presentation deck for Ms. Mallory's presentation at 10am.

Best regards,  
>Bella S.<p>

**From: Edward Cullen [edward(dot)cullen(dot)at maseninternational .com]**  
><strong>To: Isabella Swan<strong><strong><strong><strong>[isabella(dot)swan(dot)at maseninternational .com]<strong>********  
><strong>Subject: RE: Asia Sales Review<strong>  
><strong>Date: 14 October 2011<strong>

**Time: 9.10am**

Dear Isabella,

Many thanks for this.

BR,  
>Edward Cullen<p>

I narrowed my eyes. Although we are in the hotel business, I've never received such a courteous reply before. I skyped Angela:

_"Who's Edward Cullen?"_

_"No idea, why?"_Angela replied.

_"Nah, just gotten a reply from him to my email. Don't think I know the name"_

_*_  
>The rest of the day went by quickly, and thankfully, Lauren's presentation went well. She came back to her office at 430pm, sighing loudly as she sat on her chair.<p>

_"Bella, I'm going to take off for the rest of the day, I need a drink. And it's only Monday! Damned."_She yelled from her office, took out her phone and called Jessica. She's out in less than 5 minutes. I looked at my inbox, 32 unread. I grumbled and complained about how I'd be needing a drink on Monday too having to respond to all her emails. Suddenly, I heard a chuckle.

_"Something funny?" _I said without looking up. There's no one on our floor that I need to worry about offending, but when I looked up, I saw those green eyes again. The same ones belonging to that strong, Hugo Boss-flavored man that held onto me last Friday. I held my breath and stared at him. What the hell is he doing here?

He stopped smiling and straightened himself, as if being caught for eavesdropping.

_"I was told Lauren Mallory's office is here?" _He said, again, in that velvety voice and oh-so-sexy accent.

_"Yes" _I replied, not trusting myself to say anything more.

There was an awkward silence for what felt like forever, until he clears his throat and said _"Is she around? Can I speak to her please? Oh, excuse me! How rude of me, I'm Edward Cullen by the way, the new GM for Masen Bali" _he extended his hand.

The person behind that courteous email was him. I took his hand, reminding myself to make a good impression with a firm handshake but the moment I found my voice, I know all good impressions were gone. _"Bella Swan" _I said timidly. Clearing my throat and determined to make a better impression, I said:

_"Ms. Mallory has left for her meeting. Is there something I can help you with?"_

He smiled and said _"Probably not, I had some questions on her presentation this morning. It's not urgent, I'll come back again tomorrow."_and started to turn around.

Hah! I know that deck inside out, considering how I was the one who put it together. Finding my confidence, I said "_Mr Cullen, perhaps I can help? I've worked with Ms. Mallory on that presentation." _I gave him my sweetest smile.

He paused, thinking whether to just leave it or hear what I have to say.

_"Yes, perhaps you can share with me what are some of the international trade shows that Masens International has signed up for participation next year? Ms Mallory mentioned them this morning and it's on slide 10 but it doesn't actually state which ones are in US and which are in Asia"_

I was so distracted by his voice and how he frowns when he's trying to figure things out that I did not realise he was waiting for an answer.

_"Oh sure, there are total of 8 major shows we're taking part, two in the US, one in Russia that's happening in March, another one in... oh! Would it be better if I emailed them to you?" _I asked earnestly.

_"Yes please Bella. You lost me at 8, why do we need 8 shows is beyond my understanding. Thanks so much Bella, I will wait for your email then" _he turned and walked down the corridor.

I smiled and composed a new email.

**From: Isabella Swan **  
><strong>To: Edward Cullen <strong>  
><strong>Subject: List of International Travel Trade Shows<strong>  
><strong>Time: 4.55pm<strong>

Dear Mr Cullen,

It was nice meeting you. As mentioned, please find attached a list of the shows and their host countries. I'll let Ms. Mallory know you dropped by.

Best regards,  
>Bella S.<p>

**From: Edward Cullen**  
><strong>To: Isabella Swan <strong>  
><strong>Subject: Re: List of International Travel Trade Shows<strong>  
><strong>Time: 4.58pm<strong>

Hi Bella,

Thanks for your email, much appreciated.

By the way, my phone is dead, but as you rightly said, I will not hold you responsible, it was my fault. Probably is a good thing for me - not being able to check my emails when I'm on the roads.

Cheers,  
>Edward<p>

I felt the blush and thankful that I had my hair down, my ears must be burning red.

He remembered me.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Ok, so a few things I have to clarify. I'm not from the States and have never been there. Everything I know about NY, Forks, Chicago, Seattle are from my reading. Not sure why I set the story in New York! I realised I had Edward wearing a t-shirt in Oct walking down the streets, he must be Superman. Sorry about that, I'll try to be as realistic as possible.**

**I am, however, from Asia so everything about Bali will be as real as it can get! **

EPOV

_"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, in preparation for take-off, please ensure your seat belts are securely fastened and the window shades are up". _The announcement came over the PA system. Another 19 hours to go, I sighed.

_"Mr Cullen, you'd need to switch off your phone now" _the flight attendant touched my arm and her fingers lingered longer than necessary. I nodded.

_"Is there anything I can get you after take-off? A glass of champagne perhaps?" _she asked again, this time, bending forward allowing me an unobstructed view of her boobs. Was there ever a case of sexual harassment filed by a passenger?

_"No, I want to get some rest" _I replied, hoping she gets my hint.

_"Sure, let me know if you change your mind, the call button is right here"_and she brushed past my hand then walked down the aisle.

I hate long flights. No matter how comfortable the business class seats are, I can't sleep. I have to work on my presentation, but my brain feels mushy after the 2-hours flight from Bali to Singapore, and a further 5 hours transit at the airport. The next 19-hours is going to be a torture. I shut my eyes and pinched my nose bridge at that thought.

My only consolation - I get to see Alice Cullen, or soon to be Mrs Alice Hale. My baby sister I love to hate. There is no way someone her size can be that annoying and demanding. Poor Jasper, he doesn't know what he was getting into when he proposed.

Alice moved to New York with Jasper two years ago when he was offered a job at one of the top consulting firms in the United States. With her in New York and my ass half way across the globe, we rarely see each other, but she will never let me out of her radar for more than two weeks. I get chain emails from her, who believes in those crap anyway? _"Send this out to seven other friends or misfortune lies ahead."_Alice. I chuckled, thinking of her last email to me.

**From: Alice Cullen**  
><strong>To: Edward Cullen<strong>  
><strong>Subject: Don't You Dare Delete This, I'm Warning You<strong>  
><strong>Date: 8 October 2011<strong>

No arguments, no buts, Jazz and I will see you at the airport.

I'm so excited to see you Edward!

xx,  
>Alice<p>

I cringed a little when I read that, because I could literally hear her squeal.

The flight was uneventful and I did get some sleep, much to my surprise. I switched on my Blackberry as I waited for my bag. Three texts from Alice.

_According to the screen, your plane landed 25 minutes ago. Where are you? ~ A_

_It's rude to make people wait, Edward ~ A_

_Please Edward, tell me you got my email. ~ A_

I chuckled.

_Relax Alice. I'm waiting for my bag. See you shortly. ~ E_

As I walked out of the hall, I heard my name in a voice so high pitched that it could only be her when she's excited…..or angry. I turned and saw Alice running towards me and I opened my arms for her, hugging her tightly. She's so small that even in her heels, she only reaches my chest. _"I miss you Edward, I'm sooo happy to see you!" _she said.

_"It's good to see you too Alice, but you need to stop jumping so I can see if Jasper has been treating you well," _I teased and she released me to give me a huge grin. Jasper walked over and gave me a man-hug, _"It's good to see you, dude"._

_"No time to lose now boys. Dinner is at 9, we gotta start moving! Chop chop!" _Alice rushed us, and pointed to me, "_You. __We are sending you to the hotel. You have fifteen minutes to jump into the shower and change into a fresh set of clothes."_

I raised my eye brows at Alice, frowned and turned to Jasper, _"Is this how you plan on spending the rest of your life?" _Alice narrowed her eyes and Jasper let out a chuckle.

* * *

><p>Dinner was great and we were so caught up in our conversations that we were the last at the restaurant to leave. I told Alice that I wanted to take a slow walk back to my hotel, especially after how she force-fed me. Also, I sensed that her questions were beginning to gear towards the direction of my love life, or the lack of it. That conversation can wait, tonight has been great and I don't want it to be ruined by her reminding me it's been too long since I last got laid.<p>

As I walked towards my hotel, I wondered how Budi is doing. Budi is my Executive Assistant Manager and he stands in for me when I am away from the resort. Its 930am in Bali now, he should be on standby welcoming the first arriving guests of the day. I took my Blackberry out and saw an email from him, saying we have ran out of Romanee-Conti and if he can have our sommelier order it as one of our VIP guests is returning in 4 weeks and he will kick up a fuss if the wine is not available. He would normally speak to the F&B manager but that guy is on honeymoon in Maldives.

As I typed out my reply to him, suddenly, something bumped into me and my phone fell to the floor. I heard a thud, followed by a crack. Fuck, my phone! It seems like too many things were happening too quickly, all at the same time. I realized that I was holding onto something incredibly soft, and turned only to be welcomed by a pair of brown eyes, looking straight back at me. _Blimey! _She is gorgeous, is that how they make girls in the US? She was rubbing her shoulder; I hope I didn't give her a bruise. Right, manners, Esme would be embarrassed if she found out.

_"I'm so sorry, are you ok?"_I asked.

It must really hurt because she is still rubbing her shoulders and staring at me. Damn it, those eyes.

_"I'm not responsible for that," _was her reply. What the hell, lady? Then I caught a whiff of tequila, _ha, you party girl_. She pointed at something behind me, and then I realized she was referring to my broken phone.

_"No, it's all my fault. I shouldn't be walking and texting at the same time. Are you alright?" _I asked. She looked a little dazed, but nodded.

Oh well then, guess I should let her go.

Looking into her eyes again, I wished her good evening and left.

That night, I went to bed thinking of her.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

EPOV

I got up early on Monday to hit the gym before starting my day, I know it is going to be a long day, or week, looking at what Anthony Masen had on the agenda. I was eager to meet my peers - some of the managers running the other properties and sharing ideas with them. More importantly, I wanted to understand how Masen Bali is faring against its sister properties. It is important that they set the targets right and understand our situation. We are in Bali, where there are more than 6000 hotel rooms on just one stretch of Nusa Dua beach. The exclusive Masen hotel or not, we have got to admit there is some competition going on.

The receptionist brought me to a small office to settle down after I had coffee with Masen. As I was setting up my computer, I thought of what Masen said in response to my comment about not looking forward to the flight back to Bali.

"_You know, Edward, New York is a great place for a young, single man like you. I need someone to help me out, you know that," _Masen grinned.

I couldn't bring myself to say anything, I've said no to him too many times. Masen came to me one day, offering me the position of Chief Operating Officer. I couldn't accept it for a few reasons, but largely I didn't want to be based in a corporate setup. That's not who I am.

As though reading my mind, he said, _"I get it, you want to be on the grounds. I was just trying, can't blame an old man for that, can you?" _he smiled and there was a twinkle in his eyes. I have so much respect for this guy.

_"No, Anthony, not at all. I appreciate all you've done," _I answered.

I clicked on Outlook, hoping the influx of emails would not be too crazy. My phone was broken and I couldn't check my emails until last night when I was at Alice's apartment. My memory brought me back to Friday night, and that brown-eyed stranger. I shaked that thought off, she's just a random stranger, Cullen! I made a mental note to stop by the mall to get a new phone this afternoon. Alice, on the other hand, has been bugging me to get an iPhone so that she can play Words with Friends with me.

"_Isn't that the one that got Alec Baldwin into plane trouble?"_ I asked, _"besides, Al, you know I don't do games, in case you forgot, a phone is for you to ring people and talk to them."_

"_Oh, funny you should say that. I thought a phone to you is only a device to check your emails and send an occasional text to your parents and sister. I didn't know your phone can make outgoing calls," _she stared at me. Touche.

62 unread mails, not too bad. I scrolled down quickly to see if there was anything urgent that I needed to attend to. Room upgrade request, special rates for a wedding couple... I forwarded all these to the Sales team. _New unread mail_- something from an Isabella Swan. She'd sent the materials for the meeting later. I opened the attachment and was impressed with the deck. There was some serious groundwork behind those slides. I clicked on reply and expressed my thanks.

* * *

><p><em>"So as you can see on this slide, with our global sales force and the increased in marketing budget, we are expecting a YOY increase, particularly from Asia. China being our top market, closely followed by Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The next slide shows you the breakdown of figures per country.<em>

_Moving on, you will be pleased to learn that we have committed on your behalf, eight international trade shows across the next 18 months. From past experience, the ROI from these shows were great and with our new resorts in China and India, it would be a great opportunity for both Tyler and Seth to introduce to your hotels to these key markets," _Lauren Mallory, the Director of Sales spoke as she went through the slides.

I looked at the cost per participation and the amount each resort would have to contribute, multiply by eight shows.. woah... hang on a minute, don't we get a say here? I flagged the page for a conversation with Lauren later.

By 4pm, everyone was mentally exhausted. Masen called it a day and reminded us of an early start tomorrow. Good, I'll make a quick stop to ask Lauren a few questions, and then I can go pick up a phone later. Not having my phone with me is making me feel a little edgy, I've become a slave to my Blackberry.

I got a little lost trying to find Lauren's office, and as I turned the corner, I head a woman's voice, grumbling something along the line of needing a drink if she had to do all those work. I did a double take when I saw who that voice belonged to.

It... Cannot... Be..

Impossible.

Right in front of me, seated in front of a computer, is my brown-eyed stranger. She is spotting a messy bun high on her head, secured by a pencil. The blue blouse she is wearing complements her skin tone and the V neckline revealed enough to accentuate the swell of her breasts. She did not realize my presence and was still grumbling, while typing furiously. She looks so cute when she's annoyed I couldn't help but chuckled.

_"Something funny?" _came her reply, without even bothering to look up. When she did, her beautiful brown eyes just stared straight into me. It's ridiculous the kind of effect her eyes have on me, my dick seems to agree because it has just sprang back to life after so long. I was beginning to think he wasn't capable of doing that. I straightened myself, a little embarrassed to be caught eavesdropping, but mainly to subtly try readjusting myself.

_"I was told Lauren Mallory's office is here?" _I said in the sexiest voice I can summon.

_"Yes."_

She sounded a little wary. Of course, she doesn't recognize me. Who remembers a random stranger you bump into on the road?

_"Is she around? Can I speak to her please? Oh, excuse me! How rude of me not to introduce myself, I'm Edward Cullen, the new GM for Masen Bali" _I extended my hand.

She took my hand, and her small, warm hand felt so good in mine. _"Bella Swan," _she said, _"Ms. Mallory has left for her meeting. Is there something I can help you with?"_

Bella Swan... Isabella Swan, the one who sent the deck out this morning. Not only is she beautiful, she also has the brains. I smiled at her, _"Probably not, I had some questions on her presentation this morning. It's not urgent, I'll come back again tomorrow," _I better go now so I have an excuse to come back and see her tomorrow.

To my surprise, she stopped me. "_Mr Cullen, perhaps I could help? I've worked with Ms. Mallory on that presentation,"_and she flashed a smile so sweet my hardened cock twitched a little.

_"Yes, perhaps you can share with me what are some of the international trade shows that Masens International has signed up for participation next year? Ms Mallory mentioned them this morning and its on slide 10 but it doesn't actually state which ones are in US and which are in Asia"_I waited for her to search for the information, but it seems she had them all memorized.

_"Oh sure, there are total of eight major shows we're taking part, two in the US. One in Russia that's happening in March, another one in... Oh! Would it be better if I emailed them to you?" _she asked earnestly, like any professional secretary would. This is even better, I have more reasons to be talking and emailing her.

_"Yes please Bella. You lost me at eight, why do we need eight shows is beyond my understanding. Thanks so much Bella, I will wait for your email then"._

I walked back to my computer and checked my inbox, the email is right there waiting for me. I grinned and opened it with anticipation.

**From: Isabella Swan [.com]**  
><strong>To: Edward Cullen [.com]<strong>  
><strong>Subject: List of International Travel Trade Shows<strong>  
><strong>Time: 4.55pm<strong>

Dear Mr Cullen,

It was nice meeting you. As mentioned, please find attached a list of the shows and their host countries. I'll let Ms. Mallory know you dropped by.

Best regards,  
>Bella S.<p>

Mr Cullen, hmm, too formal, need to change that. She clearly doesn't remember me, but would it be creepy if I reminded her we've met?

**From: Edward Cullen**  
><strong>To: Isabella Swan <strong>  
><strong>Subject: Re: List of International Travel Trade Shows<strong>  
><strong>Time: 4.58pm<strong>

Hi Bella,

Thanks for your email, much appreciated.

By the way, my phone is dead, but as you rightly said, I will not hold you responsible, it was my fault. Might be a good thing for me not being able to check my emails when I'm on the roads.

Cheers,  
>Edward<p>

**From: Isabella Swan**  
><strong>To: Edward Cullen<strong>  
><strong>Subject: Sorry<strong>  
><strong>Time: 5.07pm<strong>

Hi Edward,

I am so sorry about your phone. I would argue it was the tequila in my bloodstream but I've learned it is best to admit a mistake, it will make me less guilty.

My friend owns a shop around the corner, if you would let me know your what phone model you are thinking of getting, I'll have him deliver it to the office?

Best regards,

Bella

Wow, so she does remember. I can't help but recall how soft she felt in my hands when I was holding on to her, the warmth of her hands when I shook it, her brown eyes that I can look into the whole day. Silly girl, I just wanted to tease her, no need for guilt.

**From: Edward Cullen**  
><strong>To: Isabella Swan<strong>  
><strong>Subject: Sorry<strong>  
><strong>Time: 5.15pm<strong>

Bella, there's no need to feel guilty about it, it was my fault. Besides, that phone was ancient, it served its purpose well and died a glorified death. My sister will testify to that.

I would tell you my preferred phone model if I knew, but I'm clueless on what my options are. Any recommendations?

Edward

I haven't thought of a phone model really, all I had in mind was to get the exact same phone, saves me any potential inconvenience. But I wasn't sure if they still produced that. Like I said, the phone was ancient. I thought about getting the iPhone, but didn't think I have the patience to reply to emails on the touchscreen keypad. Blackberry is good – Carlisle and Esme are on blackberry messaging, and that's how I keep in touch with my parents. Esme never fails to remind me the only way to get her son's attention is to BBM him and that sends me on guilt trips all the time. Although, I was pretty sure I redeemed myself when I decided to surprise them with a visit three months ago, after I had the interview with Masen.

Masen is a long time family friend, he and Carlisle went way back. Part of the reason why I was hesitant when he offered the job was their friendship, I didn't want people to think I had to pull string to get the job. It was also one of the reasons why I refused to work in the head office, that plus the fact I really don't function well in a corporate environment.

I did a final check on my inbox for any incoming mail from Bella… nothing. Feeling a little disappointed, I began to start packing my stuff and head out. Just as I was about to leave, there was a knock on my door, and a familiar voice calling my name, "_Edward?"_


	5. Chapter 5

It's been a long time since I last felt this excited, my heart was thumping so fast it felt as though it was going to spring out of my body. I thought he was good looking when I bumped into randomly on the streets, but the opportunity to work with him or even talk to him, made me see his charm even clearer. Doesn't help with the British accent, I pouted.

I was feeling a little guilty about his phone, but more so because I know how much emails these GMs get on a daily basis and how he so coolly brush off my guilt. He was such a gentleman and I kind of want to make it up. I mean, if it was Angela or Lauren, I would have done the same, offered for Paul to deliver it.

As I walked down the corridor, I think about what I'm going to say to him, except my mind is completely blank. Before I know it, I'm outside his office and saw that he's packing up. Plucking my courage and taking a deep breath, I knocked once and called out.

"_Edward?" _

He looked a little surprised, _"Hi Bella! What can I do for you?"_

"_I will pass by Paul's shop on my way home, perhaps I can check out some phones for you? The prices and models?" _I asked, somehow managed to sound timid and unsure.

He had this incredulous look on his face, and a hugeass grin, "_That's awesome Bella! I'll come with you, I was about to head out to the mall to shop for one, and you just saved me the trouble. Shall we go?"_

Oh… okay, it wasn't exactly what I expected, but who am I kidding? It's so much better, spending time alone with him. Hah! I did a little dance in my head and smiled at him, _"Lets."_

The elevator came almost immediately and it was half full. As it stopped to pick up people on the lower floor, a man rushed in and invaded my personal space. I was quick to move or I'll have his neck right in my face. Edward looked annoyed and moved his body so that he's somewhat between the man and I, facing me. The proximity of his body has some strange effect on me, effects that I haven't felt in a long time. Tinkling effects. And boy does he smells good, it is the Hugo Boss scent that I oh-so-love.

What felt like a very long elevated ride finally ended. As we walked out of the building, Edward snorted and said _"What happened to men and chivalry?"_

"_Oh you tell me, you're from the same species. It has always been a myth to me, seeing is believing, but I've never met one," _I replied without thinking.

He cocked his head and looked at me, "_Ouch, that wasn't fair, not all men are like that"_

"_You seemed to be contradicting yourself Mr Cullen. It was just 3 seconds ago that you questioned men's chivalry, and now you're defending them? Looks like we need to add indecisive to the list as well" _I smiled.

Before he can say anything, I added, _"Although, what I said wasn't entirely true. I do recall meeting one particular chivalrous man who saved me from what could be a potentially ugly fall after a night out at the bar"._

He flashed his crooked smile that I've grown to like so much and said, _"Lucky guy". _

"_Thank you, Edward. I realised I haven't thank you for that, nor have I apologised for bumping into you and killing your phone," _I said, holding his arm.

"_Well, if I recall correctly, you've already apologised. And quite frankly, there is no need to. You've already done more than you need to by taking me to your friend's shop. But if you really feel bad, how about joining me for dinner?" _He said, looking a little hopeful.

I was lost for words. I'm pretty sure I looked pathetic because all I remembered was just staring at him.

"_That's of course you haven't made plans for this evening. How rude of me to assume. A man can only hope," _he winked at me.

_Holy cow! _Did he seriously just winked? My heart reacted to his wink, so did other parts of my body.

I cleared my throat and replied, "_No, I have no plans for this evening unless you consider sipping wine and eating cheese while watching tv"._

"_Brilliant!" _And his face looked glorious. My heart literally melted. Can someone be so charming? I had to resist the urge to touch him, to make sure he's real and not go _poof! _in front of me.

I looked around for Paul as we entered the shop but he was nowhere to be found. But suddenly, I was lifted off the ground by someone behind me, giving me the tightest squeeze.

"_Bells! What a surprise!" _Paul shrieked. I feel my face turned crimson, I hate it when he does that in public, yet I fall for it every time. I stole a look at Edward, who was stone-faced, but had his lip in a tight line. If I didn't know better, I would say he's angry with Paul, but of course, he doesn't even know Paul, and why should he?

"_Erm.. Paul, you can put me down now," _and instantly he pulled me into a bear hug. With his hands on my shoulder, he pushed me back a little, to have a better look at me.

"_To what do I owe the pleasure Bells?" _He asked.

"_Can't I visit a friend? Besides Paul, I walk past your shop every day, don't act like we have not seen each other for awhile!" _I chided.

"_And I brought my colleague, he needs a new phone, no thanks to me," _I shot Edward an apologetic look.

He extended his hand and in his sexy, British accent, said,_"Hi, Edward Cullen. Pleasure to meet you"._

"_Are you from the UK? England? What's your favourite football club? Please don't tell me Manchester United, we don't need another United fans. Oh, I'm Paul by the way" _Paul rattled on.

"_Well yes, I'm from England and I do have a favourite football club, which I will tell you it's not Manchester United. God forbade. I'm a Liverpool supporter, I hope that's fine," _Edward graciously answered

"_Sweet! Bells I like him already!" _Paul nudged me.

I wondered what he's thinking. _"Incidentally, Edward is one of our GMs managing our Bali property, and if you make me look ugly in front of him, he will tell my boss and I might risk losing my job," _I said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Paul shook his head, _"How is it possible for someone to make you look ugly in front of anyone? Have you seen yourself in the mirror lately?" _he whistled.

"_Stop it already! People are looking! And it was a figure of speech! Can we just get Edward his phone please?" _I pleaded, and Paul led the way while Edward and I followed. Edward leaned in and put his hands at the small of my back and whispered, _"Paul's right though, it's an impossible feat". _I so wanted to put my nose in his neck and breathe him in… thankfully Paul brought me back to earth.

"_So what we are looking for?" _he asked?

I turned to look at Edward, he looked like a fat kid in a candy store, with so many options.

"_Well, he was using the Blackberry Bold before…." _I said. And on that note, Paul brought out the latest Blackberry model as well as the latest iPhone 4S.

"_I've narrowed your options down for you – BB or iPhone," _Paul suggested.

Edward took both phones in his hands, as though weighing their pros and cons physically by their weight. He turned to me and asked, _"What phone are you using?"._

"_iPhone?" _and I wondered why it came out sounding like a question.

"_Ok, I'll take the iPhone then, thanks Paul" _Edward said cheerfully, "_that was easy"._

"_You sure are easy to shop with," _I replied.

He said nothing, but responded with a smile. I feel my heart skipped a beat. Wow.

Edward paid, we thanked Paul, and left his store.

"_Alice will be glad to know I bought an iPhone," _he smiled to a private joke. _"My sister, and she's been bugging me to get one. Apparently she's currently hooked on this Pictionary game," _he said.

I took my phone out, flicked to the Draw Something app and showed it to him.

"_Oh, you too?" _he pretended to be appalled.

I shrugged, _"It's quite fun. What do you feel like eating? The hotel you're staying at serve some good Japanese food if you fancy. Any preference?"_

He stopped walking, and hesitated.

"_Actually… I was thinking… do you mind if we head to the hotel bar? I really just want a glass of wine, but they also serve food in there. Is that ok?" _he looked genuinely unsure.

I smiled at him and said, _"I thought you'd never ask". _

It was then that I knew we are going to get along just fine.

"_What would you like to drink, Bella?" _he asked.

The menu is so extensive and I can't even pronounce some of the wines. Best leave it to Edward to decide and save myself some embarrassment.

"_I'd love a glass of Pinot Noir and you can decide on which regions you want," _I answered.

He looked like he was enjoying a private joke, and turned to the waitress who has been ignoring me and staring at Edward, and said, _"We'll have a bottle of Casa Marin Pinot Noir, and a cheese platter. Bella, is there anything else you'd like to have?"_ he looked at me waiting for an answer, and I was instantly brought back to earth _again_. He remembered what I said about going home and sipping wine and eating cheese. Although I'm pretty sure the cheap wine I have at home is nothing compared to what he's ordered.

Blushing, I said, "_Erm, no thank you"._

The waitress took the menus from us and accidentally brushed Edward's hand, turned and sashayed away. I scowled at her back, need she so blatantly flirt? Edward, on the other hand, seemed completely unaware of what she was doing. We both leaned against the back of the couch, completely relaxed. I looked around, and the ambience is really nice - soft music in the background, quiet whispers from a few tourists, lone businessmen at the bar, and us, completely relaxed, as though we've known each other for a long time.

Blondie came back with the wine, unscrewed the cork and placed it beside Edward for his inspection, then poured a small amount in the glass. I watched intently as Edward swirled the glass so gracefully, smelled it, tasted it and smiled at the waitress, _"It's good, thank you,"_ I could sense Blondie crumpling internally when Edward smiled at her. Duh, get a grip sister.

When she finally left us, I took a big sip of the wine, and let out a happy sigh.

"_Long day?" _Edward asked, taking a sip of wine from his glass.

"_Umm hmm, I had to re-do many of the slides because Lauren changed her mind about 27 times today. Mr Masen's assistant is all touchy today but I don't blame her, she's got so many executives and guests to take care of. Lauren kept forgetting her files and I had to and fro the conference room and her office. So yeah, a damn long day. So glad it's over. And you, I'm sure you had a long day yourself too. I cannot imagine sitting in the boardroom whole day," _I probed, hoping he'd share more.

"_It ain't all bad. Some of the presentations were very interesting and I must say, Lauren did a good job. I guess that's also credit to her secretary," _and of course, I blushed on cue.

"_Plus I get to end the day with a beautiful lady, sharing a bottle of beautiful wine, what more can I ask for?" _he added.

"_Well, what can I say? Not only are you easy to shop with, but also easy to please," _I grinned cheekily.

He returned the smile, and my heart melted again. So beautiful.

"_Maybe," _he said, taking another sip of his wine, not saying anymore.

"_How long have you been with Masen?" _he asked. _Oh no, not again._ I launched into my well-rehearsed and polished story of how I met Lauren and got offered the role. I've said this so many times. People generally like to shriek at me when they find out I work for the Masen Group, and then go on to grill me about what I do. I found myself talking too much and for too long, but Edward seemed to be processing every bit of information, asking questions, making the right _umm _and _ahhh_ at the appropriate time.

"_Enough about me, I've said too much. How about you, Edward? I'm sure you have a more interesting story to tell," _I said, really curious to find out more this beautiful man.

He is originally from London, left the country when he was 22 years old to do a year of travelling. Starting off with Southeast Asia, because he was interested in history and some of the countries were British colonies. His plan was to tour around Asia, The Americas and then back to the UK. He didn't make it that far. He fell in love with Asia, and specifically Singapore, where he spent almost two years there, working in a bank.

"_Wait, in a bank? That's poles apart from running a resort!"_ I asked.

"_Yeah, I graduated from Cambridge and majored in Economics. When I got to Singapore, I felt in love with her almost immediately. All I could think of was what can I do to spend more time there. My time spent in Cambridge was well spent I guess – in three months I found an investment bank who was willing to employ me and helped me with my employment pass application. What was meant to be a 1-week holiday in Singapore became 2 years," _he said, reminiscing.

"_Of course, my mother Esme freaked out when I told her I was staying in Singapore for awhile. Carlisle took the news a little better, Alice, my sister, refused to speak to me for nearly a year," _he laughed at that thought.

His laughter is like music to my ears. You can tell that this man loves his family from the way he speaks of them.

"_Why did you leave Singapore then?" _I probed.

His face fell a little. He took the bottle of wine and refilled both our glasses, and said, _"Well, all good things must come to an end don't they?"_

I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. I wanted to ask him why and what happened, but he changed the topic immediately, effectively ending that conversation.

"Is this your natural hair colour?" he looked at my hair.

I blushed and shy away from his scrutiny. I don't like it when the attention is on me, or any part of me, not even from handsome British men.

"Yes," I replied softly.

"Sorry, I don't mean to make you uncomfortable, it's just, they're such a beautiful shade, I love it," he grinned.

He loved it. He loved my hair.

"Thank you," I answered shyly. It's already half past ten and I really don't want to stay out late on Monday, but I don't want to leave him too.

He seemed to sense my dilemma, because he said almost immediately. "Time sure flies past quickly when you're having a good time. Do you need to go, Bella? I don't want to keep you up," he asked, ever so gently.

"Yeah, I probably should, another long day tomorrow," I muttered.

"Come, let me walk you home," he said as he asked for the bill.

"Oh don't be ridiculous Edward, I'm just two blocks from here, and you're what, a few floors above where we are? I can make my way home," I countered

"Last I checked, sending a lady home is not being ridiculous, and I insist. If you were trying to find out my room number, it's 1668," he winked, and smirked.

I gasped. Annoying. And then I thought of my rebuttal, "Well, if I don't know better, it seems to me that you're trying to find out where I live!" I smile sweetly at him. The look on his face proves he was taken aback, but he composed his expression quickly.

"Maybe," he answered coolly.

Damnit, what's it with his maybes?

As we stopped outside my building, he stopped and said, "Bella, thank you so much for your company, I had a great time. I'll see you in the office tomorrow," and leaned forward to give me a hug and a kiss on both cheeks.

I feel my face burning and couldn't say much but, "Good night Edward".

It took me a whole lot of effort to turn around, I thought my feet were glued to the ground. As I lay in bed that night, my heart just wouldn't slow down to a normal pace. My mind, it kept replaying scenes from the day, and more so, focusing on the evening.. and I drifted into sleep… slowly.. happily…


End file.
